FCRA PROJECT
FCRA PROJECT: FUND FOR GENDER EQUALITY.
Deadline: ROUND THE
YEAR.
Countries/Regions: Africa, Asia and the
Pacific, Arab States, Americas and the Caribbean, Europe, Central Asia
KEY ISSUE: Women’s economic empowerment, Women’s political empowerment, Human Rights
Description: The Fund for Gender Equality is a
grant-making mechanism within U.N. Women. It was launched in 2009 with a
generous contribution from the Government of Spain, later joined by donations
from the Governments of Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway and
Switzerland, the private sector, and individual donors. Today, the Fund
constitutes one of the world’s largest grant-making funds advancing the cause of
gender equality and women’s empowerment globally.
The Fund for Gender Equality works like a fast-track mechanism within
U.N. Women for delivering resources directly to civil society and government
partners. It is an innovative, responsive tool capable of combating the
structural inequalities that underpin gender inequality, while enabling and
amplifying women’s voice and agency.
The Fund provides grants on a competitive basis within the following
thematic areas:
Women’s economic empowerment – to increase women’s access to and control
over decision-making, land, technology, credit, livelihoods and other means of
production and social protection.
Women’s political empowerment – to support women in taking on leadership
roles and participating more fully in political processes and in all spheres of
public life. Young women leaders are also a particular focus.
The Fund for Gender Equality’s seeks innovative and impact-oriented
proposals. The Fund awards grants in eligible countries in Americas and the
Caribbean, Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and
Central Asia. Organization or agencies are permitted to submit only one grant
application per grant cycle. In the last four years, the Fund for Gender
Equality has successfully awarded USD $56.5 million to 96 grantee programs in
72 countries. To date, such programs have reached nearly 18 million women.
Type of grant: Program-Specific.
Grant range: $200,000-$1 million USD
Average grant duration: One to Three years
